The Prince spent a few days in Cairo before travelling down the Nile. The royal party were taken to visit the Mosque of Muhammad Ali (r. 1805-48), who was the founder of the dynasty ruling the country at that time. The Mosque, only completed in 1857, remains today one of the most prominent landmarks in the city. The photographer, Francis Bedford, wrote in his catalogue of this scene, 'This light and elegant edifice has long and justly been celebrated as one of the most beautiful fountains in the mosks of Cairo. As is apparent in the Photograph, it is fast hastening to decay; and it is altogether to be lamented that among the inhabitants of modern Egypt so little provision is made for the repair and preservation of interesting monuments of ancient art.' (Bedford photographic catalogue 1862, p.4-5). The photograph is signed, captioned and dated in the negative, 'F Bedford Cairo'. The number in the Day & Son series is 11.